Users of conventional manually propelled wheelchairs find it impossible to use the chairs on sandy beaches or other soft terrain, and are generally restricted to using the wheelchairs on solid surfaces, both indoor and outdoors.
The objective of the present invention is to solve the above problem by providing a simplified, convenient and economical adapter wheel for the propulsion wheels of a wheelchair to enable the chair to be successfully used on soft terrain.
A further object of the invention is to provide a wheelchair adapter wheel which is very easy to install on and remove from each propulsion wheel of the chair and which is secured in the use position by a simple and effective elastic connector means which is easy to operate.
A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter wheel for wheelchairs in the form of a thin wide preferably metal band having separated ends which are drawn together and secured when the band is applied to the wheelchair propulsion wheel by an elastic connector means in the form of a stretchable web.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an adapter wheel of the above-mentioned type having circumferentially spaced centering elements on its interior surface which embrace the tire of the wheelchair propulsion wheel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a soft terrain adapter wheel for wheelchairs which is somewhat adjustable circumferentially to fit wheelchair propulsion wheels of slightly different diameters resulting from tire wear.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.